diff --git a/Code/Mantid/Framework/DataHandling/inc/MantidDataHandling/LoadParameterFile.h b/Code/Mantid/Framework/DataHandling/inc/MantidDataHandling/LoadParameterFile.h
index 83147785439b..1a0bad10c7f7 100644
--- a/Code/Mantid/Framework/DataHandling/inc/MantidDataHandling/LoadParameterFile.h
+++ b/Code/Mantid/Framework/DataHandling/inc/MantidDataHandling/LoadParameterFile.h
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ namespace Mantid
       /// Algorithm's category for identification overriding a virtual method
       virtual const std::string category() const { return "DataHandling\\Instrument";}
 
-      static void execManually(std::string filename, Mantid::API::ExperimentInfo_sptr localWorkspace);
+      static void execManually(bool useString, std::string filename, std::string parameterString, Mantid::API::ExperimentInfo_sptr localWorkspace);
 
     private:
       /// Sets documentation strings for this algorithm
diff --git a/Code/Mantid/Framework/DataHandling/src/LoadIDFFromNexus.cpp b/Code/Mantid/Framework/DataHandling/src/LoadIDFFromNexus.cpp
index 9e81ce5b3132..63188bc98028 100644
--- a/Code/Mantid/Framework/DataHandling/src/LoadIDFFromNexus.cpp
+++ b/Code/Mantid/Framework/DataHandling/src/LoadIDFFromNexus.cpp
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ void LoadIDFFromNexus::runLoadParameterFile(const MatrixWorkspace_sptr & workspa
   const std::string paramFile = directory + instrumentName + "_Parameters.xml";
 
   try {
-    LoadParameterFile::execManually(paramFile, workspace);
+    LoadParameterFile::execManually(false, paramFile,"", workspace);
   } catch ( std::runtime_error& ) {
     g_log.notice() << "File " << paramFile << " not found or un-parsable. "
                        "However, the instrument has been loaded successfully.\n";
diff --git a/Code/Mantid/Framework/DataHandling/src/LoadInstrument.cpp b/Code/Mantid/Framework/DataHandling/src/LoadInstrument.cpp
index f79f227b0f30..4aec499f0b65 100644
--- a/Code/Mantid/Framework/DataHandling/src/LoadInstrument.cpp
+++ b/Code/Mantid/Framework/DataHandling/src/LoadInstrument.cpp
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ namespace Mantid
         try
         {
           // To allow the use of ExperimentInfo instead of workspace, we call it manually
-          LoadParameterFile::execManually(fullPathParamIDF, m_workspace);
+          LoadParameterFile::execManually(false, fullPathParamIDF, "", m_workspace);
           g_log.debug("Parameters loaded successfully.");
         } catch (std::invalid_argument& e)
         {
diff --git a/Code/Mantid/Framework/DataHandling/src/LoadParameterFile.cpp b/Code/Mantid/Framework/DataHandling/src/LoadParameterFile.cpp
index fa30cca9b7b5..6ec3424405a2 100644
--- a/Code/Mantid/Framework/DataHandling/src/LoadParameterFile.cpp
+++ b/Code/Mantid/Framework/DataHandling/src/LoadParameterFile.cpp
@@ -59,8 +59,8 @@ DECLARE_ALGORITHM(LoadParameterFile)
 /// Sets documentation strings for this algorithm
 void LoadParameterFile::initDocs()
 {
-  this->setWikiSummary("Loads instrument parameters into a [[workspace]]. where these parameters are associated component names as defined in Instrument Definition File ([[InstrumentDefinitionFile|IDF]])."); 
-  this->setOptionalMessage("Loads instrument parameters into a workspace. where these parameters are associated component names as defined in Instrument Definition File (IDF).");
+  this->setWikiSummary("Loads instrument parameters into a [[workspace]]. where these parameters are associated component names as defined in Instrument Definition File ([[InstrumentDefinitionFile|IDF]]) or a string consisting of the contents of such.."); 
+  this->setOptionalMessage("Loads instrument parameters into a workspace. where these parameters are associated component names as defined in Instrument Definition File (IDF) or a string consisting of the contents of such.");
 }
 
 
@@ -80,8 +80,9 @@ void LoadParameterFile::init()
   declareProperty(
     new WorkspaceProperty<MatrixWorkspace>("Workspace","Anonymous",Direction::InOut),
     "The name of the workspace to load the instrument parameters into." );
-  declareProperty(new FileProperty("Filename","", FileProperty::Load, ".xml"),
-                  "The filename (including its full or relative path) of a parameter defintion file. The file extension must either be .xml or .XML.");
+  declareProperty(new FileProperty("Filename","", FileProperty::OptionalLoad, ".xml"),
+                  "The filename (including its full or relative path) of a parameter definition file. The file extension must either be .xml or .XML.");
+  declareProperty("ParameterXML","","The parameter definition XML as a string.");
 }
 
 /** Executes the algorithm. Reading in the file and creating and populating
@@ -95,13 +96,16 @@ void LoadParameterFile::exec()
   // Retrieve the filename from the properties
   std::string filename = getPropertyValue("Filename");
 
+  // Retrieve the parameter XML string from the properties
+  std::string parameterXML = getPropertyValue("ParameterXML");
+
   // Get the input workspace
   const MatrixWorkspace_sptr localWorkspace = getProperty("Workspace");
 
-  execManually(filename, localWorkspace);
+  execManually(false, filename, parameterXML, localWorkspace);
 }
 
-void LoadParameterFile::execManually(std::string filename, Mantid::API::ExperimentInfo_sptr localWorkspace)
+void LoadParameterFile::execManually(bool useString, std::string filename, std::string parameterXML,  Mantid::API::ExperimentInfo_sptr localWorkspace)
 {
   // TODO: Refactor to remove the need for the const cast
   Instrument_sptr instrument = boost::const_pointer_cast<Instrument>(localWorkspace->getInstrument()->baseInstrument());